Hey everyone!
As usual, thanks for all the support, especially since updates are coming rather slow nowadays.
Review responses have been moved to the ending notes for this chapter.
And, of course, the theme song of this chapter is "It Has to Be This Way" from the MGRR OST.
Now, without further ado…
Let's dance!
Bladewolf lunged at Armstrong. Armstrong smoothly dodged to the left and Bladewolf landed just where Armstrong was. The faunus turned to the left, just in time to see Armstrong raise a fist high into the air.
The faunus kept his expression cool and dodged back, Armstrong's fist hitting the ground and sending dust in the air. As dust and dirt obscured their vision, Bladewolf silenced his footsteps and activated his cloak camo.
Armstrong swiped his hand, the dust blown away by his fist's shockwave. He narrowed his eyes. Bladewolf had already disappeared.
Armstrong growled. "Come on, mutt! Show yourself!" He looked around, 'Where did that dog go?!'
His thoughts were interrupted when knives clanged as they hit his back. Armstrong turned around wildly, eyes searching for any signs of Bladewolf.
"Deceptive attack." Bladewolf deactivated his stealth camo and appeared behind Armstrong's back. Wielding HF Crocea, he dashed and swiped it across Armstrong's back. Its VT7 properties easily allowed it to go through Armstrong's nanomachines.
Blood sprout from his new wound. "You little fuck!" Armstrong swung his fist behind him as he turned around. Bladewolf ducked below it and kicked himself away from Armstrong. He activated his stealth camo in mid-air and landed quietly, thus rendering himself invisible to Armstrong.
"Fucking animal..." Armstrong gritted his teeth. He scanned the area once again. Where would the dog most likely come from…
Armstrong narrowed it down and chuckled. Not a second later, he grabbed the air beside him and squeezed. He laughed as his hand closed down on something hard. The light around his fist flickered, eventually dying out and revealing Bladewolf trapped in a chokehold. He had caught the faunus mid-lunge.
Armstrong smashed him to the ground. Bladewolf coughed up spit upon impact. Amstrong pushed him deeper into the dirt. Bladewolf's eyes flickered around. How was he going to get out of this?!
"I'm gonna crush you!"
Armstrong was about to strike again! Bladewolf wracked his brain and decided to use his chainsaw arm. He de-attached it and swung it at Armstrong's face, the HF Chainsaw ripping against Armstrong's face yet causing no damage. However, Bladewolf's intention wasn't to damage Armstrong. Instead, it was to disturb Armstrong's vision just enough so he would let go.
"Argh!" Armstrong grabbed his own face with his hand and stepped back. He let Bladewolf go.
It worked, just as planned.
Bladewolf gathered himself and got himself back up. He rubbed his throat and took deep breaths. He dared himself to look at Armstrong, who too had gathered himself and was seething in rage.
Bladewolf planted his feet and kept his eyes trained on his opponent. 'Come at me. I won't falter.'
Armstrong roared and rushed at Bladewolf. The senator moved to punch Bladewolf as he reached him. Bladewolf ducked and moved forwards, avoiding the punch. As he did so, he swiped HF Crocea, slicing Armstrong's side.
Armstrong stumbled. Bladewolf spun as he ended up behind Armstrong. He raised HF Crocea high, ready to slice down Armstrong's back again.
"Not this time, dog!" Armstrong spun with his fist hardened, just as HF Crocea started to come down. His fist hit the blade's side, knocking it away and sending Bladewolf skidding back. Before Bladewolf could get his guard back up again, Armstrong hit him with an uppercut to the gut.
Bladewolf coughed out blood. Armstrong turned his fist into a grip and held on to Bladewolf tightly. Armstrong yelled and spun, throwing Bladewolf away. The faunus flew in the air and eventually hit one of the Metal Gear's remaining legs. He could do nothing as he fell down after that.
Bladewolf stood up with shaky feet. Alarms and Notifications popped up in his vision, all telling him of the severe state that he was in. 'N... Not yet…' He steeled himself. 'I won't go down just yet!'
Armstrong lifted his fist and rushed at Bladewolf again. The faunus yelled and leapt high, avoiding Armstrong's attack. As he fell down, Bladewolf threw his knives directly below him. They uselessly bounced off of Armstrong's skin. The senator grunted and backfisted upwards, hitting Bladewolf mid-air. Bladewolf flew back and rolled along the ground.
From the corner of his vision, Bladewolf noticed Armstrong punching the ground. His eyes widened as the cracks formed on the ground towards him, spitting out fiery flames from beneath the earth. The faunus quickly rolled to the left, the flame's heat licking his metal parts.
Bladewolf quickly got himself back up, bracing himself for another attack. Armstrong burst through the flames, feet pulled back for a kick. Bladewolf weakly parried it, feet shaking from the blow. He gathered himself and lunged at Armstrong, HF Crocea glowing yellow thrusting forwards.
Armstrong smirked. He stepped to the side, Bladewolf going past him. Then, before the faunus could escape, he elbowed him hard on the back. Bladewolf coughed even more blood, going into a knee from the sheer force of the blow. Before he could even recover, Armstrong kicked him with all he had. Bladewolf flew away and tumbled across the ground a long distance from where the senator was
The faunus groaned as Armstrong calmly walked towards him. "You can't run anymore. It's over, Wolfy."
Bladewolf shakily rose to his feet. He could barely keep his vision clear, every part of his body wobbling from his wounds. He tried to make sense of everything around him.
Slowly, Bladewolf sheathed HF Crocea. Armstrong braced himself reflexively. The senator stomped his foot and readied himself, preparing for Bladewolf to rush at him with a draw-attack, just like Jaune used to do.
Bladewolf smirked. He gripped the sheathed sword tight and, instead of rushing at Armstrong, decided to throw it at him.
'Heh! Wrong move.' Armstrong thought. He tilted his head to the left and let the sword sail uselessly past him.
The senator sneered as he looked back at Bladewolf. "What were you expecti-"
"ARMSTRONG!" Raiden yelled from behind the senator. He gripped HF Crocea with his right hand, holding it high in the air and looking intensely at Armstrong's back.
Armstrong's eyes widened. That wasn't an attack…
That was a throw!
"DAMN MUTT!" Armstrong rushed at the shaking, smug-smirking Bladewolf and kicked him away. Bladewolf cried out in pain as he flew and crashed against a Metal Gear EXCELSUS leg.
"I said my sword was a tool of justice…" Raiden said as he gripped his sword with his left hand too. Armstrong growled as he turned his head back to look at Raiden.
"Not used in anger…" Raiden continued, "Not used for vengeance." He gripped the sword and the sheath, unsheathing the blade smoothly. Its yellow glow became visible to all once again. "But now, now I'm not so sure…" Raiden threw the sheath away and stepped forwards with his right foot. "And besides…." He pointed HF Crocea at Armstrong, yellow electricity crackling along the blade. "This… isn't my sword."
Armstrong fully turned around. He cracked his neck and clenched his fist. With a smirk, he challenged Raiden. "Come on!"
"Okay…" Raiden flourished HF Crocea with his right hand and held it at the ready. "Let's dance!"
"Ready or not, Jack, here we go!" Armstrong smashed his fist down to the ground, fiery cracks spreading in the dirt, heading straight to Raiden. The ninja dodged to the right just in time as an inferno erupted from the cracks.
Armstrong smashed his fist to the ground again, causing another set of cracks to form. Raiden dodged yet again, this time to the left. As he regained his footing, Raiden saw Armstrong burst forth from the flames, fist cocked at the ready. Raiden braced himself. Armstrong swung his fist down, and Raiden parried it with all he could. The ninja took one step back from the force, yet no more. As Armstrong withdrew his fist, Raiden seized the chance and swung HF Crocea across the senator's chest,
Armstrong stumbled from the slice. Raiden sliced again, creating another wound across Armstrong's chest. Armstrong growled and powered his hand. With a yell, he moved to grab Raiden by the throat. The ninja ducked in the nick of time, his white hair brushing against the senator's pitch-black hand. He elegantly kicked himself against the senator's chest, pushing himself away and landing a safe distance from his enemy.
Armstrong chuckled. "Okay!" he raised his fist high again, a flaming inferno surrounding it "Now I'm mad!"
"RAAARGH!" Armstrong yelled and brought his fist down to the ground. This time, the infernos burst immediately, spreading in eight directions around him like a compass. Raiden just barely managed to slip between the cracks, his right and left sides brushed by walls of fire.
Armstrong dashed in from the flames with a side-kick aimed straight at Raiden. The ninja parried it, yet skidded back from the blow. Armstrong lowered his foot and began focusing on himself, curling in and focusing his nanomachines. Raiden's eyes widened, and as the flames around him died down, he dodged back.
As Raiden did so, Armstrong release a shockwave from his entire body, strong enough to send debris flying away from around him. The senator looked at Raiden intensely and firmed his footing. Once that was done, he rushed at Raiden with his arms wide open, ready to tackle the ninja to the ground. Raiden dodged to the side as Armstrong rushed past him. As Armstrong stumbled, Raiden took that as his que and began attacking Armstrong once again.
First, it was a slice to his back. Then, Raiden moved and sliced across Armstrong's chest. Armstrong stepped back, blood sprouting from the wound. However, before Raiden could strike him again, he backfisted the ninja away. Raiden was sent flying and rolled across the ground.
The ninja got himself back up. As he did so, he saw Armstrong gathering a fiery flame around his fist. With a yell, Armstrong rushed at Raiden with the flaming fist cocked at the ready.
As Armstrong reached him, Raiden barely managed to hold the attack back with HF Crocea.
"That the best you got, Jack?!"
Armstrong overpowered the ninja and pushed his fust through, HF Crocea flying back and planting itself on the ground a long distance away.
Raiden looked on in shock as his blade flew away. Barely, he noticed Armstrong coming in for another strike. With determination, he met Armstrong's arm mid-swing with his own, stopping it dead in its tracks.
Armstrong grit his teeth.
Raiden took the chance and pummeled Armstrong's side again and again and again as he continued to hold the senator's arm back with his other arm. With a final yell, he backfisted Armstrong's face and the senator stepped back from the blow.
Armstrong roared as he recovered and moved to punch Raiden straight in the face. Raiden tilted his head and let the fist fly past him, meeting Armstrong's face with a punch of his own. "Rargh!"
Armstrong flew back from the blow and tumbled across the ground. He chuckled as he got himself back up. "Hahaha…" he slammed his hand on the ground. "That one hurt!"
Armstrong jumped, onto one of the legs of Metal Gear EXCELSUS. Quickly, Raiden rushed to HF Crocea and pulled it out of the ground with a twirl.
Raiden turned around, just as Armstrong lifted a piece heavy wreckage over him. The senator looked down at Raiden with a smirk. "Get some!"
Armstrong threw the wreckage down at Raiden. The ninja focused and called out The Ripper. As the wreckage came close to Raiden, he sliced it in two in one clean motion using HF Crocea. The wreckage split.
Raiden's eyes widened as the split revealed another piece of wreckage coming after it. 'Another one?!'
Slice!
Raiden split it in two again.
Another wreckage came after that.
Slice!
Raiden split it in two as well. As the final wreckage split, it revealed Armstrong behind it, already lunging at Raiden. The ninja quickly swiped with HF Crocea at the senator's head, unbalancing his lunge. Raiden caught the senator with his two hands and used his momentum to throw him away onto one of the sinkhole's walls. Debris came down on Armstrong, piling on top of the senator until he was no longer visible.
Raiden gasped for breath as he looked upon the mountain of debris. The Ripper retreated. Anytime now-
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Armstrong roared from beneath the pile on top of him, and with shockwaves from his nanomachines, blew it all away.
In the aftermath, Armstrong stood before Raiden with his hands wide open. "HAHAHAHA!" He had a big smile on his face, "THIS IS THE GREATEST FIGHT OF MY LIFE!"
Raiden twirled HF Crocea in his hand and took a deep breath, preparing himself for another round of fighting.
Armstrong bent down slightly, his back glowing green. At first, Raiden didn't understand what he was doing, that was until he saw Armstrong's wounds being closed. 'He's healing?!'
With a yell, Raiden rushed at Armstrong, HF Crocea already swinging to attack. As Raiden reached his opponent, however, Armstrong was already moving for a side-kick. It hit Raiden square in the chest and the ninja skidded back from the blow. Raiden shook his head and looked up, and with shock saw Armstrong rushing at him again. He nimbly ducked under a haymaker, then moved his body to the side to avoid a straight punch aimed at his chest. Raiden moved to swing his sword, but was interrupted when Armstrong released a shockwave from his entire body. Raiden cried out in pain as he flew back in the air.
Raiden opened his eyes as he flew in the air. He saw the silhouette of a large man covering the sun, flying above him and ready to strike. Raiden scrambled mid-air and turned his body to the side, just in time to dodge Armstrong's descending straight punch. As the fist flew past him, he gripped Armstrong's arm and climbed on the senator's back. Raiden roared and swung with HF Crocea multiple times across Armstrong's back, the two of them landing on the ground and sending dust everywhere.
Armstrong swung around him with a backfist, clearing the dust from the battlefield. As he did so, Raiden lunged at him, HF Crocea positioned to thrust. The senator smirked and grabbed Raiden mid-lunge, using his large frame to pit Raiden against him. He gripped Raiden's arm and began tearing him in two.
"AAAUGH!" Raiden screamed in pain as his entire body was pulled from both sides. Raiden loosened the grip on his sword and let it fall, catching it with his right foot. Going through unbelievable pain, Raiden forced through and used HF Crocea to cut at Armstrong's legs using his feet.
"Grah!" Armstrong cried out and was forced to let go of Raiden. Raiden fell down and tried desperately to get a hold of himself. Everything was spinning, pain overcoming all of his senses. Raiden squinted, and could just barely make out Armstrong rushing at him again.
"I'm gonna crush you!" Armstrong rushed with his fist in a fiery inferno. This time, Raiden could do nothing as the fist hit him square in the jaw. Raiden rolled along the ground, HF Crocea flying away. Raiden coughed and his body shook. He slowly turned his head to look up, just in time to see Armstrong descending from above with an elbow to smash him. Thinking quickly, Raiden jumped up feet-first and hit Armstrong's sides with his feet mid-descent. The ninja smirked weakly as he heard a crack and Armstrong fell back to the ground, Raiden landing on his own two feet.
The two stood before each other, their breaths short and their bodies clearly damaged. Raiden slowly walked backwards, keeping his eyes trained on Armstrong while pulling HF Crocea free from the ground.
"Grah!"
His suspicions were proven true when Armstrong dashed at him with a fiery fist, faster than he ever moved before. Raiden just barely activated The Ripper as Armstrong went for a punch. Raiden moved to parry, but was caught off guard when instead Armstrong shifted and grabbed Raiden by the throat with his other arm.
The senator laughed as he hoisted Raiden up high, choking the ninja hard and forcing Raiden to let go of HF Crocea. The ninja coughed as he wiggled, trying to break free. Raiden roared and managed to kick Armstrong's head, forcing him to let go. Armstrong stumbled back as Raiden fell, the ninja landing with a thud and crawling towards HF Crocea. He slowly got up, knees shaking as he slowly turned his head to look at Armstrong.
Armstrong yelled and flamed his right fist. He threw a haymaker at Raiden with all his strength. With The Ripper, Raiden saw it coming easily and swung HF Crocea right at the fist, sending it recoiling back. Armstrong didn't miss a beat and powered his other fist, swinging with it next. "I'll blow you away!"
Raiden noticed the next attack coming and swung down on that fist too. It recoiled back, along with Armstrong who stumbled back from the counterattack. The senator was barely standing on his own two feet now, both warriors exhausted from the prolonged battle.
"Hagh….Hah…" Armstrong glared at Raiden, his nanomachines beginning to recede from fatigue. "Grr…! COME HERE!" Armstrong opened his arms and rushed at Raiden, preparing to tackle the ninja.
Raiden was faster. He shifted to grip HF Crocea low and swung an upwards attack at Armstrong's chest right as the senator reached him. Blood sprouted from the wound, and now, with the nanomachines receding…
The wound didn't close back.
"Hah!" Raiden yelled and seized this chance, flipping HF Crocea's grip and using his entire body's force to plunge the sword deep in Armstrong's gut.
Armstrong groaned as he stepped back several steps. Raiden stepped back too, both warriors gasping for breath from exhaustion.
Armstrong looked down at HF Crocea, plunged deep within his wound. He turned his head to look at Raiden, glaring with hate and fiery determination. Raiden narrowed his eyes and prepared himself. What was he going to do-?!
"GRAAARGH!"
Armstrong yelled to the sky, shockwaves surrounding him. With that, he lunged at Raiden again, the ninja catching him and the two forced into a struggle of power, both hands holding the other one's back.
Armstrong grinned as he slowly overpowered Raiden. However, Raiden used this momentum to let go, Armstrong stumbling forwards and Raiden headbutting the senator with all he had.
Armstrong stepped back, dazed and no longer aware. Raiden quickly gripped HF Crocea and pulled it free, blood flying free from Armstrong's wound. With grace, he gripped HF Crocea with two hands and put it in front of him, right in the middle of his body with his right foot forward.
The Rodrigues Shadow Style stance.
Raiden aimed HF Crocea right at where Armstrong's heart was. He gripped HF Crocea tight and swung at it.
Armstrong's nanomachines chipped away.
Again.
It chipped away even more.
And again.
The final piece of nanomachine flew away, cut cleanly by HF Crocea. It exposed Armstrong's large, rapidly beating white heart
"We're done here!" Raiden lunged forwards with his left hand, plunging it deep within Armstrong and grabbed the senator's heart with his hand.
"Augh!" Armstrong cried out in pain as he curled in on himself, his body slowly weakening. He spit out blood. "Heheh… Well done… Jack."
Raiden pushed his hand deeper, closing in the distance between the two of them. He growled in the senator's ear, loud and clear. "Your dream dies with you." He moved to pull Armstrong's heart away, but was stopped when Armstrong used a hand to pull Raiden closer.
"M-maybe not…" Armstrong groaned, yet kept on speaking. "You've guaranteed the status quo will go on… for a while longer at least…" The senator spit out blood again. "War… will continue as an institution… as industry…! Men will fight for reasons they don't understand… causes…. They don't believe in!... Aurgh!"Armstrong coughed, his body curling in on itself even more.
Raiden kept on listening.
"But at least, I'll leave… a worthy… successor!"
"…."
"You, Jack!"
'…what?' The word echoed throughout Raiden's head.
"You carve your own path…" Armstrong continued, "Use whatever methods you see fit! ... You don't let legal bullshit get in the way, and if killing's what you have to do… then so be it."
Raiden gave Armstrong a pat on the shoulder with his free hand. Then, just as fast, he tightened his grip and pulled his left hand back, ripping Armstrong's heart free from its body.
Armstrong groaned in pain and fell back-first into the ground.
Raiden gripped the heart in his left hand. With a grunt, he crushed it without a second thought, red blood splashing his face.
Armstrong chuckled as his vision faded. "Deep inside we're… kindred spirits… you…." He let out a breath. "….and I."
Raiden looked down at Armstrong, left hand coated in blood and right hand holding HF Crocea. The sun shone from behind him, casting his shadow over Armstrong's body. He gasped for breath, the Ripper leaving his senses.
It's over.
It's finally over.
Sunny ran towards the plane as it arrived back at Solis Testing Grounds, parked in the middle of the runway. She didn't even bother telling the others to move the plane to a proper parking space. This was more important!
The plane's walkway descended and Raiden along with Bladewolf staggered down. They seemed to be barely conscious, their steps wobbly and their bodies curling in on themselves. The ninja could barely look up and saw someone run towards them.
"Sunny…" The ninja whispered. Before he could even realise it, the young girl was already upon him and hugged him tightly.
"I- I thought you weren't going to make it…" She gasped quietly to his side. Using what little strength he had, he raised a hand and patted her head.
"I'm here now, Sunny." Raiden reassured her. "I'm here, with you."
Sunny sniffled. "You better." She looked up and smiled at Raiden. "I'm glad you made it out alive."
"Yeah. We too…" Raiden said as he glanced at Bladewolf. "Sunny, do you-."
"We have emergency repair stations, already up and running for your arrival." She reassured him. With that, Sunny pulled away and walked to Bladewolf. "How hurt are you?"
"Everything."
"That bad, huh?" Sunny looked inquisitive for a moment, then shrugged and smiled. "Well, it won't be a problem!" She turned around, motioning the two of them to follow. "Both of you, just follow me! We'll get the two of you patched up in no time!"
"Thank you." Bladewolf said.
As Sunny began to walk away, with Bladewolf following suit, however, Raiden didn't move to follow. The young girl noticed this in a few steps and stopped, turning back around with worry on her face. "Um, Raiden… aren't you coming with?"
"There's… something I have to do, Sunny." Raiden said slowly. "Do you have any spare repair nanopastes lying around?"
"Huh? Well, I've got some in my pocket…" Sunny trailed off.
"Good. Can you give me three of those?" Raiden asked nicely.
"Sure." Sunny said as she took three of them out of her pocket and threw them at Raiden. "I thought you'd be in worse shape, so I brought those just in case." She said sweetly.
Raiden nodded in thanks as he stored them. He didn't say anything else and stared at nothing in particular.
"Raiden…" Sunny fidgeted. "What're you gonna do? The fight's over. It's time for you to relax." The 'please' went unsaid.
"Calm down, Sunny." Raiden reassured her. "These are just for precautions. What I need to do…" Raiden tore his gaze away and looked at nothing in particular "I just need to pay back a debt."
Raiden walked alone across the Badlands, waiting until he reached the right spot. He had used one of the repair nanopastes to heal himself before; to sustain him and restore himself to normal yet not peak functioning levels.
Not long later. He reached the spot he was looking for.
The place where he dueled Jaune.
The samurai's words continued to echo in his head.
"… He's more fit of a wielder than I ever was."
'Jaune…' Raiden thought as he arrived. He saw the blond's body leaning against a rock, a blood trail visible on the rock's surface, tracing to where Jaune was. The samurai had a smile on his face, HF Murasama lying a few metres away, blown slightly by the wind of the Badlands.
'Heh… call me a hypocrite, but out of all the people I've fought in this…' Raiden thought as he came closer to the man and the sword. He looked at Jaune with sadness and respect. 'I think you're the one who deserves a proper burial the most.'
Raiden wordlessly tore his gaze from Jaune and turned to look at HF Murasama. Walking over to it, the ninja carefully picked it up and held it carefully in his hand. Then, Raiden turned to Jaune's body, planning to take HF Murasama's sheath and use it to sheath the sword.
Raiden walked closer to Jaune, even more so than before. That was when he noticed something peculiar.
Raiden's eyes widened.
A breath was coming out of Jaune's nose.
His chest was rising and falling.
'No way…' Raiden thought. He hurriedly ran closer and knelt beside the body, inspecting it with disbelief.
'All his wounds… t-they're closed!' Raiden noted with astonishment. Again, the body's chest rose and fell rhythmically. 'He's alive! He really is!'
Raiden grabbed Jaune's shoulder, wanting to shake him awake. However, in that moment, something strange happened. Jaune's body began to glow white.
"W-what's this now?!" Raiden cried out. Jaune's body began to glow brighter and brighter, yet Raiden still didn't let go.
The ninja growled. "No… I'm not leaving you this time!"
Raiden felt a pull on his gut, yet still he didn't let go. His vision was overcome with white light.
In a flash, the two of them disappeared from the Badlands.
In the United Continents, no trace of them was left.
Was the ending a bit cliché'd? Yeah, it probably was.
Do I have any better ideas on Raiden's arrival? No, probably not. Sorry.
Review Responses are as follows:
To Shimuza, thanks for the compliment! I'm glad it fit, I really am!
To READER1O1O, same as before, I'm glad that you liked Wolfy's inclusion!
To Mernom, I feel you about the Armstrong part. It's become so meme-ified that lots of fans can remember it by heart, me included (to an extent!)
To SplitsShot, ah, right! Thanks for the reminder! And as for the time to upload, again, I'm sorry for the long wait. And as for the Bladewolf addition at the end, glad you liked it!
To Already exist, thank you!
To Undertotem, I spit out my drink about the second comment :)
To Skeletalrepublic, thanks for the compliment, and I hope you've also enjoyed this chapter!
To Zakuzilla, thanks!
To ISuckM8, wow, I'm happy you think so! And regarding the Raiden-Jaune-Remnant chapter, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting for so long, even now. That's for the next chapter.
ToDragonTetho, I'm happy that you're excited!
To Kabuto S. Inferno, thanks for the review! And as usual, I'm happy that you liked it, and I do plan on touching Jaune's psyche after this. Even though he wants to do good, no change is instant. And if you're reading this after the chapter ends [SPOILERS], then be assured that I'm saving Bladewolf for later. As I said, no change is instant, and that applies to Bladewolf.
To Kerrisive, wow, that's a long review! (re-reading the review for a sec) Oh shit you listed a shitload of things! Uh… I'm sorry that I can't really comment a lot on your observations *wink wink* but know that a lot of them (I won't specify which) are great!
To mera mera no mi, I agree!
To Fajriirawan, same as before!
To Guest (1), that's a nice argument! Why don't you back it up with a source?! *snicker*
To Anon, read the chapter to find out!
To MattySteel, that's at the end of the chapter!
To Guest (2), uhm… no thank you…? Eh, whatever.